Pause

Listen

“Fellow Israelites, listen to these words! Jesus the Nazarene was a man whose credentials God proved to you through miracles, wonders, and signs, which God performed through him among you. You yourselves know this. In accordance with God’s established plan and foreknowledge, he was betrayed. You, with the help of wicked men, had Jesus killed by nailing him to a cross. God raised him up! God freed him from death’s dreadful grip, since it was impossible for death to hang on to him.

This Jesus, God raised up. We are all witnesses to that fact. He was exalted to God’s right side and received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit. He poured out this Spirit, and you are seeing and hearing the results of his having done so."

Think

In today’s world of click-bait headlines and fake news, it seems like we need credentials, proof, and evidence more than ever; but are things really more uncertain now than before? Do people really lie more than ever? Maybe it just feels that way. Maybe the need for proof says more about human behavior than reality. Maybe our human behavior is looking, not for reasons to believe, but for reasons not to believe. When we rely on proof we are relying on a physical reality that we know has limitations.

The resurrection of Christ blows up our understanding of reality. In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we are shown a new kind of proof and evidence; one that isn’t reliant on the physical reality we all think we know so well. In the work of the Trinity, we see new truth, a new way of being in relationship. We are called to be witnesses to this truth in our daily lives. The proof of this new reality is in the way we live it.

Pray

Go

Work for unity.

Engage diversity.

Welcome mystery.

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writer

Casey Cross

Casey Cross is the Young Disciples Director at Hope Lutheran Church in Eagle, ID. She is honored to walk with people of all ages and stages of their faith journey. She loves to cook with her husband, laugh, read, listen to music, write in her blog: caseykcross.wordpress.com, and cuddle with her dog.